Rosenberg Associates Makes the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting

On November 29, 2022, Accounting Today released their Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting ranking. This award lists the thought leaders and change-makers who are shaping the profession.

Marc Rosenberg and I were named among the Top 100 list this year. In the write up, Accounting Today editors cited a few reasons why:

Marc: “Rosenberg’s mammoth library of monographs on how to manage a firm should be on the shelf of every leader in public accounting, and once they’re done reading that, they can start catching up on his twice-weekly blog.”

Kristen: “Rampe’s partnership with Marc Rosenberg in April will only increase both of their abilities to help more owners grow their firms. Besides her frequent articles and public appearances, Rampe is also influencing the next generation of firm leaders through the Millennial Managing Partner Roundtable she established.”

What Are We Influencing?

• Successful mergers across small- to mid-sized firms: We’re getting multiple inquiries each week to help sell or acquire a practice. There’s no question the M&A market is hot.
• Partner compensation: You’ve heard about our partner comp research study, created to glean details about what makes an effective comp system in an accounting partnership. We look forward to sharing the results in 2023 in our blog and an updated Partner Compensation book.
• Partner retreat outcomes and integration of change: Many firms have retreats; many make good plans; few successfully implement them. But it’s that last part that helps firms achieve their organizational goals and be able to thrive independently and serve their valuable client base.
• Talent retention strategies: In 2022, we completed an in-depth Remote Work Survey which is going to be a part of the 2nd edition of our book, CPA Firm Staff: Managing Your #1 Asset. We plan to release the updated book in early 2023.

We’d like to thank our clients for providing the opportunities to make a difference in the profession. Without you, our entire team might be busy doing tax and audit. And as much as we know you need the help, we’re really glad to be serving you as consultants instead.

Additional Gratitude

Being my first time on the list, it also seemed appropriate to express some gratitude to those who helped me reach this milestone. I could thank hundreds of people, but to keep you from falling asleep, I’ve chosen five partners or managers who directly oversaw my work and development as a professional. I credit their influence, among the many others, in shaping my career.

Here is one example of what each has taught me:

James Barker: How to properly staff a job so teams aren’t consistently overwhelmed and working ridiculous hours. (Even at the Big 4! Even in the early 2000s!)

Frixos Michael: The importance of exceedingly high standards in both work product and client service. Once he asked me to define “fixed asset.” I failed miserably and knew I should have had a better answer.

Pietra Buelow, CPA: How to build a great team and take full advantage of client travel opportunities. Our team of 12(ish) people was among the best I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.

Michael Knowles: The unbeatable value of trust and autonomy in a business partnership. He could have told me hauling trash was going to be our next endeavor, and I would have unquestionably followed because we worked so well together.

Marc Rosenberg, CPA: The impact that mentoring and being generous with your time and knowledge can have on the future of our profession.

I’ve already been keeping a running list of other impactful people, including clients, peers and those who reported to me that I can’t wait to highlight in future years.

Who is on your list of people to thank this year? When will you tell them?